Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  December 10, 2013 10:00am-11:01am PST

10:00 am
now. have a good afternoon. now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com right now, secretary of state john kerry about to testify about a deal to curb iran's nuclear program. we'll explain. highlights of the agreement, why secretary kerry may face a very tough sell up on capitol hill. also right now, federal offices here in washington, they are closed thanks to the weather the northeast is getting hit with another round of snow, sleet, rain and ice. and right now, world leaders are heading home after a moving memorial service for nelson mandela. we're going to bring you highlights from the service and from president obama's remarks honoring mandela's life and his legacy. hello, i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. the goal is to prevent iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
10:01 am
but the dilemma is over how best to reach that goal. the secretary of state john kerry's up on capitol hill right now. he's trying to convince lawmakers that an interim six-month deal with iran is certainly the way to go. but some lawmakers are pushing to increase the sanctions against iran to keep the pressure on. our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto is here with me with the latest details. it's a tough sell especially before this house foreign affairs committee. >> tough because it's bipartisan opposition. you've got both on the senate side and the house side, democrats and republicans who don't trust the deal, in effect, want to add sanctions plus the disagreement is so fundamental. the members of the house don't want iran to have any enrichment program whatsoever. that's something the president says he's not comfortable with. it's not banned in the interim deal. that's fundamental disagreement. >> he wants a very modest enrichment program, not enough necessarily to build a bomb, but
10:02 am
enough perhaps for peaceful purposes. >> no question, modest monitored. that's not a standard that many lawmakers in both parties think is possible frankly. >> critics point out the u.n. security council said no enrichment of uranium. walk us through the basically elements of the six-month deal. kerry will be testifying saying if it doesn't work out, you can always increase sanctions later but don't do it now. >> it's interesting to look at the differences between how they want the next six months to pan out. if you look at the proposed new sanctions, they want to close this issue heavy water facility, these are members of the senate. they want to shut down the entire enrichment program and move out of the country the existing stockpiles of enriched uranium. those three things are not in this interim deal. have you chlo slowing down of the reactor. you have monitoring put on the enrichment program and no enrichment capacity added but not rolled back. again, if you look at every one
10:03 am
of those measures, they're at opposite ends of the spectrum. it's difficult to see how they square that circle. >> it's interesting here the secretary of state with the president's blessings and authority reaches a six-month interim arrangement with iran. one of the requirements they say is no new sanctions during this six months. but now there's a push to increase sanctions not necessarily trigger them during the six months but get them ready six months down the road. you have democrats including the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee bob menendez chuck schumer of new york saying it is a good idea to increase sanctions an. >> you have the rare occurrence where you have the iranian and american presidents making the same argument saying if you put the sanctions on now, that's going to scuttle the path to diplomacy. the u.s. administration say it's going to damage our credibility not just with iran but more importantly with their european partners and obama made the case this weekend at the saban forum here in washington that it would
10:04 am
encourage in fact our european partners to go their own way in, effect fraying the sanctions by adding these new sanctions unilaterally here. >> jim sciutto will be watching this hearing. we'll see what happens, what the secretary of state has to say. he'll make the case. hold off, give the six-month opportunity a chance to succeed. we'll see how he does. thanks very much for that. meanwhile, world leaders joined with south africans from all walks of life today to honor nelson mandela. ♪ >> the four-hour memorial service began with the singing of south africa's national anthem. even a steady rain couldn't dampen the spirit of those who came to pay tribute to mandela. crowds danced in the stands of the soccer stadium in
10:05 am
johannesburg, the same location where nelson mandela delivered his first major speech after his release from prison back in 1990. during the program, world leaders praised mandela for his courage, for his dignity in the fight against apartheid. press obama says he showed the world what's possible. >> nelson mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done. south africa shows that is true. south africa shows we can change. that we can choose a world defined not by our differences but by our common hopes. we can choose a world defined not by conflict but by peace and justice. and opportunity. >> president obama's speech paid tribute to mandela's life and legacy and also a message about the political challenges he and other leaders face today. he says mandela's death should cause each of us he says, to
10:06 am
examine our own lives. we want to break down the president's speech on the world is taken. chief political analyst gloria borger is with us. gloria, let me play another clip from the president because his words were pointed. >> for around the world today, we still see children suffering from hunger and disease. we still see rundown schools. we still see young people without prospects for the future. around the world today, men and women are still in prison for their political beliefs and are still persecuted for what they look like and how they worship and who they love. >> so that was a pretty pointed message especially considering some of the other 90 leaders who were there where political freedom at home is not necessarily something they can take for granted. >> i think, you know, the president was speaking both of reconciliation and the spirit
10:07 am
nelson mandela but also in terms of the challenge that these leaders face and that leaders of all nations face. wolf, what struck me also was that it was such a personal speech for this president. he didn't know mandela well personally. he met him when he was a united states senator. but he talked about that moment 30 years ago when he first heard mandela and heard about what he was doing in south africa, and he said in his speech that it stirred something in his soul. and that is why he got into politics. >> let me play a clip because that gets right to the point you're making. listen to this. >> over 30 years ago, while still a tuned, i learned of nelson mandela and the struggles taking place in this beautiful land. and it stirred something in me. it will woke me up to my responsibilities to others and
10:08 am
to myself and it september me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. and while i will always fall short of madiba's example, he makes me want to be a better man. >> madiba being the clan name for nelson mandela. so this is the first african-american president of the united states paying prib beauty to the first black president of south africa. >> who he said inspired him personally to get into politics. i think it was quite a moment. i don't think it was lost on anybody in that stadium or around the world, wolf. s in a president very good at giving speeches. we've heard many of them. but we hear few of them in which he speaks really from his soul about himself. and i think this is barack obama that kind of opened up to the spirit nelson mandela who, after all, was one of the most
10:09 am
warmest, congenial, open politicians. you know, obama himself has been criticized as being colder and not as open. and the thing about mandela is the lesson that all politicians can learn from him is that while kefs very strategic, he was also very open, kept his enemies close and was also never too busy for the people. >> yeah. i mean, when i met him in cape town, south africa, back in 199 at the presidential residence, he was still president of south africa, he took me around. couldn't have been nicer, couldn't have been warmer not just during the formal sitdown interview but privately when we chatted, spoke about family and other things, he was a very, very impressive dignified man. >> and you have to wonder whether we're ever going to see the likes of any kind of an inspirational iconic political figure like that again. >> yeah. >> we just don't -- >> he was unique. we will miss him. gloria, thanks very much.
10:10 am
the president, by the way, is getting ready to leave south africa flying back to the united states fairly soon, getting ready to board air force one to make the long 17, 1-hour flight back to the united states. meanwhile, a handshake between president obama and the cuban president raul castro raising some eyebrows and questions, as well. was it just a polite gesture or was there something more? we'll discuss when we come back. hi honey, did you get the toaster cozy? yep. got all the cozies. [ grandma ] with new fedex one rate, i could fill a box and ship it for one flat rate. so i knit until it was full. you'd be crazy not to. is that nana? [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. prefer the taste of gevalia house blend over the taste of starbucks house blend? not that we like tooting our own horn but... ♪ toot toot. [ male announcer ] find gevalia in the coffee aisle or at gevalia.com
10:11 am
♪ dial up my number now [ male announcer ] find gevalia in the coffee aisle ♪ weaving it through the wire ♪ switch me on ♪ i want to touch you ♪ you're just made for love ♪ i need ooh la la la la la
10:12 am
so ally bank has a that won't trap me in a rate. that's correct. cause i'm really nervous about getting trapped. why's that? uh, mark? go get help! i have my reasons. look, you don't have to feel trapped with our raise your rate cd. if our rate on this cd goes up, yours can too. oh that sounds nice. don't feel trapped with the ally raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. every weekend worked, every idea sold... ♪ you deserve a cadillac, the fastest growing full-line luxury brand in the united states. including the all new 2014 cadillac cts, motor trend's 2014 car of the year. now during our season's best event, get the best offers of the season on our award winning products, like the 2014 ats and srx.
10:13 am
[ female announcer ] we eased your back pain, you turned up the fun. tylenol® provides strong pain relief while being gentle on your stomach. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol®. president obama praising nelson mandela as a giant of history, but the president's encounter with another world leader is generating some serious discussion.
10:14 am
julia swig is a senior fellow for latin america studies at the council on foreign relations. she's here with us right now. julia, let's talk about the handshake and show it to our viewers once again between the president of the united states, president raul castro of cuba. there's the president walking up. you can see, there's raul castro. he's pretty happy, smiling, puts his hand up towards his heart. the president is moving onto the president of brazil, gives her a couple kisses there on the cheeks. if you were watching earlier, you saw raul castro plit pleased by all of this. what's your take? >> this is a very public gesture made by the two the presidents at avent event the context of which is about reconciliation. the image is hard to mistake especially given their speeches. of course, this could be a big something or it could devolve into a symbol without a lot of substance. >> because as you know, everyone knew they were going to be on the podium together. this was not a surprise
10:15 am
encounter or anything. they had a long time to think about this. and i'm sure the president gave careful consideration when he walks up there. does he ignore raul castro or does he actually go down the line and shake everyone's hand? >> i think he could hardly have ignored raul castro. certainly this follows just three weeks ago when the president made a comment in miami at the home of a cuban exile it's time to update u.s. policy toward cuba and that rec cognizing some of the changes under raul. i think this is something that was definitely thought out. he couldn't have ignored him and the message of reconciliation and respecting diversity and dialogue was something that both raul castro and president obama struck in their own talks. >> listen to jimmy carter, the former president of the united states speaking about this handshake, this encounter. jimmy carter also in south africa right now. he did a telephone interview with cnn's becky anderson. >> i think it was something
10:16 am
significant. i've known raul castro quite well for a number of years i've known his brother fidel, as well. that was the first time i believe an incumbent american president has shaken hands with a leader of cuba. i hope it will be an omen for the future. >> now, he was mistaken on that part, jimmy carter, because bill clinton as the incumbent president of the united states back in 2000 did shake hands not with raul castro but with fidel castro. you remember that. >> i do remember it and i remember at first, the white house denied the handshake and corrected its denial and admitted to it. this is a very different moment. first of all, fidel castro is not in power. raul is in the second year of his final term in office. we are four years away from a cuba when the castros will not be leading it. that's important. >> if that plan, would out. they could change their minds. this is a dictatorship, a tyranny in cuba right now that's not a full democracy.
10:17 am
there are no free and fair elections. if raul and fidel castro are still alive and healthy, if they want to stay in that your peck. >> it's true. that's a cautious and skeptical and perhaps appropriate view. my view is they have put in too many reforms in place to move the dial backward now. and that's why i think it's different than 2000. >> what i'm told is that the president of the united states, since taking office five years ago, took some modest steps to improve travel restrictions for example between the u.s. and cuba. he would like to improve relations but as long as alan gross, the american for four years now, being held prisoner is continued to be held prisoner for all practical reasons, this administration is really not going to do anything dramatic or important. >> that's what you've been told. that was in fact the case in the first term, but if you look at the second term, what we now have rather than preconditions, that is release gross and then we'll talk, we now have a process where the two presidents
10:18 am
are together not always in sync but in parallel deploying their diplomats to take modest steps to talk about the easy low hanging fruit bilaterally while at the same time, moving the dial just a little bit in order to address the issue of alan gross. i think we're in a different context right now. the latin american context is very important. this president has an opportunity there. and i do think that this handshake following his statements a few weeks ago could actually be looked at five years from now as a milestone. >> but if raul castro makes that decision to let alan gross come back to the united states, that would be a gesture, an important gesture and if he wants to improve relations with the united states, he should do that immediately. >> yes, he should. and i think what we can't see is that discussions around precisely how that can happen, the stage for those discussions is now set. >> let's eif raul castro follows up the handshake. the president was very nice,
10:19 am
shook his hand, made the gesture. now the ball is in cuba's court to see what the castro brothers do. >> thanks very much for coming in. general motors made history today when it announced its new ceo. in a minute i'm going to tell you why and also how the federal government finally settled the books on the auto industry bailout. stay with us. ♪ i want to spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of unsurpassed craftsmanship at the lexus december to remember sales event. some of the best offers of the year. this is the pursuit of perfection.
10:20 am
just 15.99. start with soup, salad and cheddar bay biscuits then choose one of eight entrees plus dessert! four perfect courses, just 15.99. come in to red lobster today and sea food differently. four perfect courses, just 15.99. it's been that way since the day you met. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach,
10:21 am
delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergicrea, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.
10:22 am
the markets ritsd now. the dow was essentially flat yesterday after soaring on friday. checking the big board right now, it's down about 25 points.
10:23 am
analysts stocks could be in a holding pattern till later this month when the federal reserve meets to the decide if it will keep pumping money into the economy. right now it spends about $85 billion a month on economic stimulus. big change at general motors today. the carmaker has just named its first female ceo in the company's history. mary barra has been the company's head of product developments. this announcement comes a day after the government announced it has sold its remaining shares in the company. zain asher is following the story for us from new york. so zain, what's been the reaction to this dramatic announcement. a woman now leading gm. >> wolf, the reaction has been very interesting indeed. i've been speaking to industry analysts all morning. obviously a lot of them praising and an plaugd gm for a decision that is progressive and symbolic at the same time. but some people are saying they cannot wait to see a world where gm or any sort of car
10:24 am
manufacturer hiring a woman has ceo is the a common occurrence and not necessarily "headline news." they think she should honestly be judged on her contribution, her achievements and not necessarilher gender. you cannot get away from the fact that is traditionally a male oriented company. they have been making progress in their industry. back in 1993, 15% of car manufacturer employees were women. right now it's 21%. certainly a lot of progress indeed, wolf. >> good for her and good for gm. a woman now about to lead general motors. so on another issue, how important is this announcement made by the obama administration that they will have finally sold the last shares in gm? does this close the books on the u.s. government's auto bailout? what's the final tally? >> right. so yesterday, the government finally announcing they were selling their remainder shares in gm. you remember back during the financial crisis, gm got roughly around $50 billion from the government during the crisis.
10:25 am
that money was converted into equity. the government bailed out chrysler, too. the government has made back $39 billion. so the taxpayers are still at a loss of roughly $10 billion. despite that loss, the government said this bailout was crucial because it was cheaper than the complete collapse of the u.s. auto industry which would have naturally led to job losses, huge pension reductions for employees. car sales are on track to be the best since before the recession. they are once again profitable. >> seen as investment in gm and chrysler. it keeps those twos companies alive. they're creating a lot of jobs. as far as $10.5 billion in u.s. taxpayer money, presumably money well spent. that chrysler and general motors alive and doing relatively well. very well i should say right now. zain, thanks very much.
10:26 am
a race to find a family with four young children. in the rocky freezing remote area of northwestern nevada, the search is widening as the temperatures plummet. people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults
10:27 am
who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible. ♪
10:28 am
(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.
10:29 am
10:30 am
you wouldn't know it from the look in the northeast today. gray clouds hanging over capitol hill, here in washington, federal offices in washington are closed. d.c. and baltimore under pd winter weather advisories which could mean 1 to 3 inches of snow before the end of the day. areas in pennsylvania will get a little bit more. philadelphia and wilmington, del care, under a winter storm warning. that means about a half a foot of snow. philadelphia's international airport is seeing flight delays. some delays topping four hours. for more on the weather we have our meteorologist chad meyers standing by at the cnn severe weather center. chris lawrence is over on the national mall here in washington. the evening commute, what is it shape up like? a lot of folks didn't even go to work today because the federal government was, for all
10:31 am
practical purposes, shut down, chris. what's going on? >> why there would be any major problems with the evening commute. the sun's coming out here. the ground's already starting to dry up. it stopped snowing a few hours ago and when you think about all the federal worker who's were told to stay home today, that causes a ripple effect in this area. here in the washington area, a lot of private companies use the federal government sort of as a template. if the government's closed, a lot of companies say we're going to close down for the day, too. the schools are going to close. so you don't have very many, many people out on the road today. i know we didn't get any accumulation here in downtown d.c. there was a little bit more out in the suburbs but there was a lot of fear on the part of this storm mostly based on what happened a day or two ago when you had all that will freezing rain here and than much heavier snowfall up in philadelphia and new york. people an wondering if they got another round of that kind of snow and ice, what it would do
10:32 am
after we saw those pile-ups a little bit further north there, but overall, i mean it's turned out to be just you know pretty much completely out of the woods at this point. at least in the d.c. area. >> shaping up as a lovely day here in washington, d.c. all right, thanks very much, chris. chad, you and i grew up in buffalo, new york. you know, i've been living here in washington for a long time. if there's an inch, inch and a half, two inches the place shuts down which is a sign they're not ready for this kind of treatment. the government shuts down and so many other private areas shut down. give us the big picture right now. nationally, what's going on? >> you know, for you and we'll start in d.c. and kind of get wider and wider. at 4:00 this morning, it was ugly. it was showing. the roads were slick. but now the snow is over. the sun will be out. everything's going to melt, even for d.c., baltimore all the way up to philadelphia and new york city. the city you're probably going to get another hour of snow and
10:33 am
then the sun comes out. look at the delays from new york, lagardia, philadelphia, hour, hour and a half, even boston with ground delays at about 50 minutes. it's going to be a day where it's slow to get around. i'm a little bit concerned tonight now that the roads will be wet at 4:00 to 5:00, if you're driving around the overpasses will get slick. the bridges will get slick right at sunset. boston, another couple hours for you and you are done, as well. 2 to 4 inches. the big story i've seen pictures out of lancaster, 4 inches there. delaware, a couple inches there and the mountains west of d.c., front royal 2 to 3 inches on the ground. other than that, the airports are slow. most people didn't get to work. roads should be fine foo if it gets icy later, drive carefully. that's the advice we give everyone. if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, that's obviously very, very good. thanks very much for that, chad. let's go toot northwest part of nevada right now where searchers are scouring the
10:34 am
mountains from the sky and on land for six family members. a man, his girlfriend, their two children and a niece and a nephew went out to play in the snow on sunday. but they didn't come back. the area is remote and rocky with temperatures dipping well below zero. our casey wian is tracking the story for us and joining us. tell us about the search, casey, the challenges facing rescuers. >> yeah, wolf, it's really difficult for these rescuers because the search has expanded to such a large geographic area. all of pershing county, nevada, which is 6,000 square miles. it's remotely populated. only one person per square mile in that county. so that complicates things. the area they traveled to to go play in the snow is known as the seven troughs area of northwestern nevada. it's an area populated by very, very steep canyons, steep ravines. their vehicle a jeep they were in could be in any one of those. so that is an issue that
10:35 am
rescuers are having to deal with. then as you mentioned, the very, very bitter cold temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero overnight is causing a problem for the safety of this family. here's what rescuers had to say. >> the temperatures out here are very cold. and we'd like to bring a successful end to this. we'd like to find them. just as soon as we can. >> we just got to find them. we've known them forever, you know? and those little tiny kids can't be out there in the cold. >> the certainly now expanded two 200 people searching for this people. they feel are using helicopters, airplanes and they are opt ground hoping that they can find this family. but obviously, wolf, as more time goes by, the more difficult it is. wolf in. >> they did have cell phones, this family. the folks there. but i take it service is spotty out there and making it obviously even more difficult? >> service is spotty in the
10:36 am
area. it's so remote. but they did get a couple of pings from james glanton's cell phone yesterday. i just spoke with the pershing county sheriff's office a few minutes ago. they say they have not received any more pinks since yesterday. there have been no sightings of their vehicle, wolf. >> let's hope they find these people soon. thank you. widening the inner circle. president obama adds a political heavyweight to his white house team. what can the former clinton chief of staff do to help it the current administration and the president. >> i'll speak with our own ron brownstein about john podesta. he's back in the white house. stand by. chevy year end event is a great time
10:37 am
to buy an all-new silverado. this interior is incredible! the nav is perfect for my long trips up north this time of year. how far up north? akron. akron's nice. mm. [ male announcer ] chevy's giving more this holiday season, chevy's giving more during the calendar year end event. trade up to the all-new 2014 silverado all star v6 for a total value of $5,250. see your local chevy dealer today. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. i'm bethand i'm michelle. and we own the paper cottage.
10:38 am
it's a stationery and gifts store. anything we purchase for the paper cottage goes on our ink card. so you can manage your business expenses and access them online instantly with the game changing app from ink. we didn't get into business to spend time managing receipts, that's why we have ink. we like being in business because we like being creative, we like interacting with people. so you have time to focus on the things you love. ink from chase. so you can.
10:39 am
10:40 am
president obama is adding an important new member to his inner circle over at the white house. john podesta, the veteran democratic operative, has been aiding the president behind the scenes since 2008, but now the man who took over the clinton white house as the president clinton's chief of staff during the moniker lewinsky impeachment episodes will have a much bigger role in the last years of the obama administration at least for another year or so if he comes on board as counselor as we expect. let's discuss with our senior political analyst ron brownstein. the senior political analyst of the editorial director of the national journal, as well. so some folks are saying the president, whose job approval numbers now are at a record low, he's in deep trouble because of the launching of obama care is calling in the cavalry to help. >> it's not usual kind of pattern in the second term of an
10:41 am
administration. you reach out for some of those more veteran washington figures. think of reagan and howard baker. after iran-contra. this precedent for this, john podesta is a fascinating figure. he was close to the clintons, chief of staff so he knows how to deal with a hostile congress. he has worked with obama. he ran the transition for him and also built what has been the most successful left of center think tank launched, the center for american progress. someone with very good ties inside the broad democratic coalition and has experience dealing with congress. >> what does it say the president is calling on him to bring him in as a counselor to the president? >> the counselor is a historically a pretty fuzzy term. it usually translates into you give a lot of advice, you don't necessarily have a lot of line responsibility. i think the experience of bringing in folks like john podesta in the past has varied enormously. we'll have to wait and see how much actually operational influence they give him.
10:42 am
can i by thing is one thing, controlling decisions is another. >> i remember in the first term of the bill clinton administration when they had some serious problems in 1993. >> a guy you sort of know. >> they brought in david gergen who had advised republican presidents and then at some point, leon panetta was brought in to become the chief of staff. they moved what they called some of the kids out and got adult supervision in there. that was the line at the time. it this a sort of a point right now where there's a vote of no confidence in the current team at the white house, why they're bringing in podesta? >> obviously, i think there is some evidence of discontent here. i think the president has always recognized that given where the republicans are from in the house that he has very little leverage over them, he carried only 17 districts represented b use repuicans. in his second term, he was going to have to get more done through executive action than legislative break through. the break down on obama care is more remarkable.
10:43 am
they understood their best chance was through the levers of the executive branch. i think podesta in part is there to help them tighten up on that front because the environment, other areas it's through their own actions they're more likely to make a mark. >> let me skitch gears, john kerry the secretary of state is now testifying before the house foreign affairs committee on the iran interim deal on its nuclear program and he's making the case, and there are skeptics that this is a good deal. he's making the case that this is actually beneficial to israel. listen. >> the national security of the united states is stronger under this first step agreement than it was before. israel's national security is stronger than it was the day before we entered into this agreement. and the gulf and middle east interests are more secure than they were the day before we entered this agreement. now, here's how.
10:44 am
put simply, once implemented and it will be in the next weeks, this agreement halts the progress of iran's nuclear program. halts the progress. and rolls it back in certain places for the first time. in nearly ten years. it provides unprecedented monitoring and inspections. while we negotiate to see if we can conclude a comprehensive agreement. if we can conclude. and i came away from our preliminary negotiations with serious questions about whether or not they're ready and willing to make some of the choices that have to be made. but that's what we put to test over the next months. >> so but he's got a problem, not just kerry but the president of the united states, not just from republicans but in the senate, you've got the chairman of the foreign relations committee, bob menendez a very
10:45 am
loyal democrat. you've got chuck schumer, the number three democrat in the senate from new york, they're skeptical of this deal. >> they are. the big question is whether they give him the six months are upping room to test as secretary kerry said, whether in fact, iran is serious about reaching a long-term agreement. there's no question i think that the congress wants to at least set in motion sanctions that will be toughened if the deal isn't reached. the bigger question is whether they actually threaten to undermine his position by imposing further sanctions during this window. my guess is he can fight this off and get this running room to see whether this is serious over the next six months. beyond that, i think if this doesn't work, there's a very clear signal to iran there will be tougher sanctions coming down the road. >> maybe it will work. we'll see. thanks very much, rob brownstein for that. a new federal push to help the mentally ill as we approach the anniversary of sandy hook. our own dr. sanjay gupta will be along to explain the needs when
10:46 am
we come back. w, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. so jim's not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. plus, with no known dietary restrictions, jim can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban,
10:47 am
without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto® and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com.
10:48 am
for more information and savings options,
10:49 am
as the one-year anniversary of the sandy hook elementary school massacre approach, the obama administration is announcing a commitment for more money to deal with mental health issues. the vice president xwiden is scheduled to meet with newtown families at this hour to make clear that $100 million in fresh funds will be available. our chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta is joining us with more on this. sanjay, tell us first of all, tell us about the announcement. >> this has been part of a larger push to deal with mental health, mental health parity and also the violence, obviously, surrounding newtown and many other shootings over the past year. you talked about the 100 million dollar number. it's interesting, $50 million of those dollars are coming from the department of health and human services specifically toward building more facilities, communities centers specifically and hiring more professionals. $50 million is also coming from the usda, u.s. department of
10:50 am
agriculture. it's interesting, wolf, you don't usually hear them being involved in something like this but they want to focus more on rural areas, areas traditionally even more underserved with this idea that mental health professionals in areas where there's a higher concentration of them can better serve rural areas. so that's sort of the gist of the announcement. again, as you mentioned, coming around the anniversary of newtown. part of a larger push surrounding violence overall in our society. >> yeah, as you know, mental health issues covers a lot of ground in the united states. this would be a shift in the way mental health issues are viewed, but tell us a little bit more about that. >> yeah, you know, i think with regard to mental health, you know, we have been talking about this idea of parody, meaning putting it on par, if you will, with physical health problems for some time. as you may remember, wolf, you and i talked a few weeks ago. department of health and human
10:51 am
services sort of decided to enforce existing parody laws from 2008 saying that mental health is an essential health benefit that should be treated the same as physical health from your co-pays, deductibles and all of that. unless you have enough doctors who are available, mental health professionals available, unless you have enough beds to take care of patients, unless you can do something to reduce stigma, parody only goes a certain distance in terms of addressing this. i do think if you look at the fact that more funding will be available, not just for this $100 million announcement, but more founding toward research, that ultimately helps address these issues of stigma as well as we get better treatments, better diagnoses and people become more aware. you're absolutely right. this helps, but it does not change things, certainly not overnight. >> yeah, because when you think about it, sanjay, and we've covered these stories, these heartbreaking stories, these massacres, these mass shootings
10:52 am
so many times the shooter involved has serious mental health problems that either weren't treated, weren't fully diagnosed. >> i think when you look at a shooting like this, it further in many ways stigmatizes mental health and illness. certainly, you know, people acknowledge that, but it's worth pointing out again the people who had mental illness are more likely to be victims of violent crime rather than perpetrators of crime, but we don't hear about those people. we also don't hear about the people who have mental illness, who have tried to do everything they can, their families have tried to do everything to get them help, to get them in-patient therapy, to get them treated overall. it can be so hard to do. so yeah, you know, we pay attention to these things around a big tragedy, but there are many, many tragedies of smaller nature happening every day in this country. >> they certainly are. our mental health issue is a serious problem out there. i think the health care program,
10:53 am
the insurance program should deal with these issues as physical ailments because they are so, so critical. sanjay, thanks very much. >> you got it, wolf. thank you. this important programming note for our viewers. don't miss anderson cooper's special report wednesday night honoring the children. "newtown, one year later." it airs 10:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn. [ lane ] do you ever feel like you're growing old waiting for your wrinkle cream to work? clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair.
10:54 am
it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? that's just my speed. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®.
10:55 am
and for dark spots rapid tone repair.
10:56 am
10:57 am
from the primary to the election, the nation watched all the public events of the 2012 presidential race unfold on television, but now you'll be able to get a look at the private, behind-the-scenes moments of mitt romney's campaign. netflix is planning to debut the original documentary called "mitt" on january 24th. cnn entertainment correspondent michelle turner is joining us now from los angeles. this will, what, be the second documentary for netflix? what kind of access did the filmmaker actually get? >> yeah, you know, this is the second documentary for netflix. the first one was called "the square." that took a look at political unrest in egypt. this one is focusing on mitt romney. it's not just focusing on the presidential race of 2012. they started documents mitt romney's life back in december of 2006 when he first was deciding whether or not he would run for president. then it also chronicled his life
10:58 am
through the 2008 failed bid for the republican nomination and then went on to chronicle the next four years until he ran for president against barack obama in 2012 and ultimately lost. so they've got six years strong with him. they say this goes well beyond the realm of politics. the filmmaker also said he could not believe that he was sitting in the room with the access that he had in some of the situations and meetings that he probably shouldn't have been in. so this might be very, very interesting. i can't wait. i can't wait to see it. >> i'd like to see it too. the film is also going to the sundance festival. is that right? >> yeah, it is. it's going to debut on netflix january 24th, but it's going to debut first at sundance on january 17th. that's kind of where we see those really great meaty documentaries that debut every year. i'm excited to see how this one is going to be, you know,
10:59 am
received by the public. >> all right. stand by. i want you to watch our next report because anticipation is building for the release of another major motion picture "anchorman 2" about the legendary newscaster ron burgundy. ron and i have been long-time rivals. as i've been mentioning, i'm not keeping our simmering feud a secret any longer. watch this. >> when we were coming up in the late of 70s, ron burgundy got the lead position at kvwn because his mustache was slightly bigger than mine. you have to understand, this was the '70s. people found comfort in a mustached man delivering the news. that's actually why i grew the beard. i love my beard, but i would trade it for burgundy's mustache in a heartbeat. burgundy and i hit the national spotlight about the same time. today he has the most awards of any anchor. some of them, honestly, i think belong to me because they're literally mine.
11:00 am
he just took them off my shelf right in front of me and acted like i didn't see it. >> ron burgundy. by the way, you can catch my interview with the man behind ron burgundy. that will air in "the situation room" later this week. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern. "newsroom" continues now with brooke baldwin. >> hi there. i'm brooke baldwin here in new york. thank you for being we me on a snowy tuesday. the weather may look bad where you are, but the storms are far from over. in fact, snow and ice blanketing cities all the way from arkansas to maine. these are live pictures of new york, which along with washington and philadelphia, could see six inches of snow today. and you can already see the snow piling up on lady liberty's crown. actually, you can't see